Ex libris voor J. Slagter (ontwerp) c. 1935 - 1940

Leo Gestel made this bookplate design for J. Slagter with pencil, and it feels so intimate, doesn’t it? I think it's the delicacy of the pencil. You can almost hear the scratching of the lead on the paper as he figures out this little world. I wonder if Gestel was thinking about dreams, or maybe the theater of the mind? There's a stylized face, a fantastical bird-like creature, and these floating symbols, like stars and clouds. Each element exists in its own little bubble, but they all come together to create this unified sense of place and time. The image is suspended between the graphic and the symbolic. You know, looking at Gestel’s work, I’m reminded that artists don’t create in a vacuum. We’re all riffing off each other, remixing ideas, and pushing the conversation forward. I feel this piece reminds me of the flat planes, simplified shapes, and dreamlike imagery of early modernism. It reminds me of the way Picasso re-worked Velasquez. Ultimately, art isn't about answers, it’s about asking questions. And, as viewers, we get to join in the fun!